Cold appetizers · The home kitchen
Labneh
Labneh turns everyday yogurt into a thick, softly tangy spread with very little hands-on work. The main ingredient is time: a slow refrigerated drain removes whey while preserving the yogurt’s clean flavor. Serve it with olive oil and bread, or add sliced tomatoes and herbs for a light lunch. This is an original home-style interpretation inspired by the menu’s ingredients, rather than Beiruty’s restaurant formula. Quantities are written for a domestic kitchen so you can prepare the dish confidently and adjust the final seasoning to your own taste. The independent recipe linked below provides another cook’s perspective and useful background for exploring this style of food at home.
A home-style recipe inspired by our menu. Restaurant preparation, portions and ingredients may differ.
Make it at home
Labneh recipe
- Serves
- 6
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Rest / chill
- 1440 min
- Total
- 1450 min
Ingredients
- 750 g plain whole-milk yogurt
- 3/4 tsp fine salt
- 30 ml olive oil
- 2 pita breads, cut into wedges
Method
Stir salt into yogurt. Line a sieve with a clean, tightly woven cheesecloth and set over a deep bowl.
Add yogurt, fold cloth over the surface and refrigerate 18–24 hours, keeping the sieve above the collected whey.
Transfer thickened labneh to a serving bowl, drizzle with oil and serve with pita. Keep refrigerated and use within 4 days.
Make it your own.
- Choose plain yogurt without sweeteners or gelatin.
- A longer drain produces firmer labneh; check after 18 hours.